Craig Counsell says Jeremy Jeffress was unavailable in the tiebreaker game

Though the Brewers did win the NL Central yesterday by winning Game 163, the Brewers elected to use Josh Hader for the final two innings of the game. There was some surprise that Counsell did not turn to Jeremy Jeffress for the final inning, though it did not matter in the end as Hader finished it off. After the game, Counsell did address that quickly.

If Jeffress was unavailable for yesterday’s game, it makes sense why Hader was used for two innings instead. Though there were some other options available, Hader has been one of the most reliable relievers in the bullpen, and Counsell felt comfortable letting him finish the game. It also explains the double-switch when Hader came in, indicating that he did want Hader to finish the game.

Counsell did not go into any detail on why Jeffress was unavailable, but it was reported later that it was indeed a minor injury that kept Jeffress out of the clincher. He did recently deal with a bout of neck spasms, but the right-hander is not expected to miss any NLDS action.